Real-Life Murder That Inspired 'Twin Peaks' Being Developed as Documentary TV Series

It's difficult to overstate the impact that David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks has had on the murder mystery genre, inspiring countless imitators in the nearly three decades since it debuted on network television. The series was loosely inspired by the murder of Hazel Drew, who will be the focus of the upcoming Metabook Blonde, Beautiful and Dead: The Murder Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks. The book is also being optioned for a documentary series, which could land on a cable service or streaming platform in the future.

The body of 20-year-old Drew was discovered in Teal's Pond in upstate New York in 1908, the cause of death being blunt force trauma to the back of her head, crushing her skull. Frost spent many of his summers in the area as a youth, with his grandmother recounting stories of Drew's fate to him, serving as a cautionary tale of what could happen if you wander around the woods alone at night.

The Wrap confirmed that Part2 pictures, who have developed series such as This Is Life with Lisa Ling, Dark Net, and Belief, will be adapting the Metabook.

“This is one of those stories that you can just see and feel the second you hear about it. It has all the texture and twists of Twin Peaks but has the beauty of being true crime with a current-day investigation unfolding alongside the events of the past,” David Shadrack Smith, President of Part2 Pictures, shared of the project. “We’re excited to take a multi-platform approach to it with Metabook and create something that lives across diverse media.”

In Twin Peaks, Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) investigates the death of high schooler Laura Palmer in the small Washington town of Twin Peaks, a sleepy community that is rattled by such a tragic murder. From there, Cooper discovers all manner of bizarre activities unfolding in the town, which were explored over the course of three seasons and the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.

“This is such provocative subject matter that will appeal not only to Twin Peaksfans, but also to people who love true crime,” Alfonsi added. “With Part2’s proven track record of producing riveting documentary entertainment for the past decade, we’re thrilled to be working together on what we want to make a must-see television event.”

Authors of the Metabook, David Bushman and Mark Givens, will serve as producers of the series.

“We are beyond excited by this new partnership with Part2 Pictures that will allow us to bring the intriguing tale of Hazel Drew’s brief life and tragic death to a whole new audience,” the writers shared in a statement.